One type of solderless connector termination system, includes contacts with forward parts lying in the connector insulator, and with board-received parts press fit into plated-through holes of a circuit board or the like. Solder is not used to hold and connect the board-received parts to the plated holes in the board, principally where the circuit board has ground planes and is thick and difficult to quickly heat. The system is assembled by first inserting the forward connector parts into the insulator passages. The insulator is pressed forcefully towards the circuit board to press the board-received parts into interference fit with the circuit board holes. It may be noted that other systems use solid board-received contact parts for press fit in the circuit board holes, although newer systems use more compliant board-received parts such as those with a slot resembling the eye of a needle.
In order for the insulator to press firmly against the contacts to press fit the board-received contact parts into the board holes, the insulator was formed with rearwardly-facing abutments that abutted forwardly-facing shoulders on the contacts. If a contact should become damaged, it was replaced by removing screws that held the connector to the circuit board, removing the connector insulator, replacing the damaged contact from the rear of the insulator, and reinstalling the connector insulator. Some systems use a group of connectors and various fastening devices that hold them in place. In that case, the removal of a single connector insulator to replace one or a few damaged contacts, takes considerable time. It would be desirable if a single contact could be replaced from the front or mating end of the connector without having to detach the connector from the circuit board or other device in which the contacts are press fit.